After last night’s season finale of ‘The Walking Dead’, the fan base was left divided when it came to how good or bad the episode was. On one hand, I’ve heard people express their annoyance that the episode wasn’t as epic as it could have been or that they were mad that we didn’t get closure with the Governor storyline. On the other hand, I’ve heard people say that they’re liking how much the show differs from the source material because it offers a whole new experience while still keeping the feel of the comic that they’ve come to know and love. Well, it appears that network has sided with the disappointed fans and has taken some drastic steps to ensure a more epic next season.
According to a press release sent out today, AMC announced that recently appointed showrunner Scott Gimple, who wrote last night’s finale episode, as well as the awesome episode featuring Morgan titled ‘Clear’ and a handful of other episodes of the show, would be replaced with Evan Reily, co-executive producer and writer of such season three episodes as ‘Prey’, ‘The Suicide King’, and ‘Walk With Me’. Reily has been with the show since season two and has also worked on FX’s ‘Rescue Me’ in a number of roles.
This marks the fourth regime change on the acclaimed zombie show since the show’s inception. First, Frank Darabont left the show during the second season after some creative differences. Then, his replacement, Glen Mazzara, parted ways with the show for similar reasons. Now, Gimple, who had barely began working on the next season, has stepped down as well. Though the press release may not have said so, other reports are indicating that disagreements with creator Robert Kirkman over the direction of the Governor had a large part to play in the decision to replace Gimple. Sources close to the situation are insinuating that the ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ writer was in over his head and was a fool for even attempting the things he planned to do on the show.
When asked about what direction he would be taking with the new season, Reily responded by saying that he’s looking to bring even more elements of the source material into the show, starting with eliminating fan favorite character Daryl Dixon played by Norman Reedus since he doesn’t appear in the comics. Also, with Carl changing so much emotionally and physically since the start of the show, the new showrunner wants to explore the boy’s natural growth by having him enter into a love triangle with Glenn and Maggie. With such bold ideas like this, the new season of ‘The Walking Dead’ looks as if it will continue to go in a considerably different direction than originally anticipated in order to keep presenting a fresh product unlike anything else on television today.
What do you think of AMC’s decision to replace Scott Gimple before the fourth season even starts? Did you think that the season three finale was so bad that it warranted this drastic step? Sound off in the comment section and let us know what you thought of this APRIL FOOL’S POST!
